1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device with an insertion slot. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk device in which double loading of disks through an insertion slot can be prevented effectively.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A disk as an optical information recording medium is used with a computer, car navigator and other electronic instruments, and stores information of a great amount, for example CD, DVD, Blu-ray disk and the like. An optical disk device or optical disk drive is loaded with the disk for writing and reading information. There are two types of optical disk devices incorporated in an electronic instrument, including a tray type having a tray for placement of the disk, and a slot-in type having an insertion slot for loading and unloading the disk. When the disk is set into the insertion slot defined in a bezel in the optical disk device of the slot-in type, a transport assembly or disk loading mechanism is actuated automatically for loading the disk.
The slot-in type of the optical disk device has a feature having no tray, and is widely used in a notebook type of personal computer owing to characteristics of the small size and light weight. The disk is rotated at a high speed in the optical disk device for writing and reading information. If a user inadvertently inserts another disk during the writing or reading operation, an accident will occur, for example, the disk will be broken, or mechanisms in the optical disk device will be damaged.
U.S.P. Pub. No. 2007/0250843 (corresponding to JP-A 2007-293981) discloses the optical disk device including a shutter for opening and closing the insertion slot for preventing double loading of the disk. In the document, there is a cam plate on which the shutter is mounted in a rotatable manner. When the disk is absent in the optical disk device, the shutter is set in an open position. When the disk is inserted in the insertion slot and set in a writing/reading position by the loading mechanism, the shutter is rotated to a closed position. The optical disk device includes a shift lever and a slider. The shift lever is swung in response to operation of the loading mechanism. The slider is slid by the shift lever. A slot in the slider receives insertion of a pin of the shutter. When chucking of the disk is started in the writing and playing position, the slider is moved by the loading mechanism and the shift lever. The shutter is guided by a cam groove formed in the base panel when the slider moves, and rotationally shifts to a closed position about the pin.
However, it is necessary in U.S.P. Pub. No. 2007/0250843 (corresponding to JP-A 2007-293981) to incorporate the slider in addition to the shutter and the shift lever. The number of the parts will be remarkably high also with the complicated structure of the shutter. The manufacturing cost will be remarkably high.